love at russia

margarita:
i shook my head. "we're talking about love. there's no 'why.' That's the point."

tatyana:
there is always a 'why,' because there is always something that the beloved wants. it might be that he protects you. it might be tat he makes you feel special. it might be that he is a way out, a route to some shining future away from the dreary now. it might be that he is the father of your unborn babies. or it might be that he gives you prestige. love is a big knot of 'why's"

margarita:
"what's wrong with that?"

tatyana:
"i'm not saying there's wrong with it. history i smade of people's desires. but taht's why i smile when people get sentimental about this mysterious force of pure 'love' which they think they are steering. 'loving somebody means wanting something.'"

-lines from the petersburg section of david mitchell's novel ghostwritten